


A Study in L'Aigle

by abp



Series: Studies [1]
Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-03
Updated: 2013-04-03
Packaged: 2017-12-07 09:37:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/747027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/abp/pseuds/abp
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Some people overlook Bossuet, but Joly notices everything.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Study in L'Aigle

**Author's Note:**

> I have a lot of Bossuet feelings (and I hope they didn't get me too ooc). I might do more of these for other characters?

Bossuet is clumsy. He knocks over vases, spills milk, and burns his hand on the stove. It’s the first thing most people notice, though Joly thinks it’s the least important.

He writes left-handed but favors his right in other matters; he learned to be ambidextrous when he was ten and broke his wrist. He speaks three languages fluently. Joly has always been impressed with his sheer ambition and eagerness. He approaches everything optimistically and no matter how bad his luck gets, the glass is always half full.

Bossuet can talk to anyone for hours and listen for even longer. Joly told him once he could make a friend out of a tree and he’d only quirked his head and asked what kind of tree _(What kind would you like? **A willow, I think. Willows are nice** ). _His hugs are legendary among their friends and everyone seeks him out for comfort. No one has ever seen Bossuet act selfishly—Joly wonders if he can.

He walks like he doesn’t know where his own limbs are, but disregards it; he ends up covered in bruises from bumping into tables or tripping on rugs. There’s always an enthusiasm to his movement. His hands gesture wildly when he talks.

He’s very poor at whispering, though Joly has tried to teach him, and even poorer at lying. During movies, he talks. During _sad_ movies, he clutches Joly’s hand and cries into his shoulder unashamed _( **If I wanted a white house with blue shutters, would you make me one?** Of course I would_ ). Scary movies he laughs at and holds Joly tight when he trembles.

Bossuet chews on pen caps. When he walks outside, he likes to kick stones down the street and stare at clouds. He gets gum stuck in his hair more than is possible; he never chews gum. His hair ends up cut choppily to all different lengths and wild in the way it sticks up. Sometimes, he shaves it all off to let it grow back in even.

He’s always punctual. Bossuet hates making people wait, but he’ll wait patiently for anyone else. He has endless patience. He’s allergic to honey and gluten. He never tries to eat honey (it makes his face swell up and throat start to close), but he sneaks _real_ cookies or bagels sometimes and pays for it. _(Why would you do that? You know it gives you a stomach ache! You’ll be in bed all day now! **But it was good!** )._ When he feels guilty, he kisses Joly’s cheek and offers to watch Joly’s favorite show of the moment, even though he doesn’t like it. 

He forgets his key a lot.

Rain is his favorite weather. He likes stepping in puddles while Joly frets about catching colds. But mostly he likes the excuse to stay in bed all day. Bossuet is a cuddler. And he makes the best gluten-free pancakes on those mornings, insisting they eat in bed and talk about their dreams. He sleeps curled like a kitten, face nuzzled into Joly or Musichetta or whoever’s there.

He likes cooking, especially when Musichetta teaches him old family recipes. When they have to swap out ingredients for his allergies, he apologizes bashfully and she always tells him it’s alright with a fond smile. Bossuet loves wearing big, warm sweaters and skinny jeans and scarves. Sometimes he steals them from Musichetta or Joly’s wardrobes. They tease him and he laughs along.

Bossuet’s laugh is deep and warm.

Once, Cosette took him to a class on knitting and he loved it. He knits scarves, hats, and gloves with skill, though the colors are outlandish and only Jehan willingly wears them. Joly will out of love. Bossuet reads early in the morning and late at night. He gasps, yells, and cries over books and when Joly asks, tells him he _wouldn’t understand_. _(It’s just a book. **No! It’s much more than that** ). _He studies English and History and doesn’t want to be a lawyer anymore.  

There’s a scar below his left knee from tripping on a sidewalk as a child and another on his right elbow from falling off a bike. He’s surprisingly otherwise unscarred; bruised, but those fade. His left front tooth (central incisor, tooth number nine, Joly tells him) is chipped at the bottom from getting hit in the face with a shovel. It’s not noticeable by look; Joly only knows from kissing him.

Bossuet feels deeply and acts passionately. He takes abuse hurled at him with an apologetic smile, but insult his friends and he’ll snap. Bossuet argues fiercely when he wants. Sometimes he lets people walk all over him. Not because he can’t stand up for himself but because he doesn’t want to; not if it makes them happy. Joly gets frustrated seeing someone take advantage of Bossuet’s good nature. ( _Are you doing R’s homework again? You need to tell him no!_ **_I don’t mind_** _)_.  

He likes to always be prepared—less for him and more for others. Bossuet is the one with the extra pen to lend or snack to share. Joly and Musichetta fill his bag with band-aids, tissues, and ibuprofen too. He lets them. When he finds their love letter written on post-it notes mixed in, he comes home flustered and pleased and smiling.

Bossuet smiles like spring and tastes like autumn.

But most of all, Bossuet feels like _home_.


End file.
